The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-15

tnat IHc0Qsnlp, ana thought InaL Lne young lady, had some pleasant sur prise in preparation against her lovers return.
 Possessed of the means of effecting what she knew to be guilty purpose, Elinos stole along the corridor to number -. Quickly she opened the door, entered the room, and turned the lock upon the inside. Almost in a fainting condition, with strained eyes and clasped hands, she looked about her. The table of her dream was there, not five steps from her, and the sight of it filled her with 8 mad desire to fly from the scene of what she felt to be the crisis of her fate. But the old impulse grappled with the new and conquered. She quickly advanced and sank, on trembling knees, before the arbiter of her destiny -a common wooden table.
 With closed eyes, still kneeling, she opened the drawer. When she had drawn it nearly to its utmost limit, a moment passed before Elinos dared to lift her eyes. She then gave one shuddering glance to where, in the remotest corner of the drawer, there lay small black book, gold-lettered with the word "Diary." With a low cry she sank fainting to the floor.
 Returning consciousness brought with it the horrible fear that she might have lain there for hours; but, recovering sufficient strength to look at her watch, she found that a few minutes only had elapsed.
 However, no time was to be lost. She snatched the diary from it's corner, and with feverish fingers turned to the y-leaf, on which was written, as in her dream, "J. A. E., 1877."
 She began to read. The writing was the confession of a man who had madly loved heartless coquette, and had discovered, too late for his own peace of mind, that her passion was not for him. The meeting at her home in B.; the growth to fearful proportions of his ill placed love and the gradual approach of disease which he foresaw was to be fatal to him, were all minutely described. Then came the writer's account of how a longing for revenge on the false hearted woman had seized him, fol- lowed by dark hints of maturing plans for that vengeance which he hoped to live long enough to carry out.
 Elinos was reading these words: ts'Tn- fosthftIl T.inn1 ol,cl tell you of the fulfillment of my guilty purpose. It shall be. As there is God of vengeance, I swear it w
 A moment the reader hesitated be- fore turning the page which was to reveal the writer's secret, and in that moment hurried and familiar step was heard coming along the corridor. It stopped at the door and key was placed in the lock.
 A mortal terror shook the figure of the girl crouched upon the floor. All was lost. Her lover had returned sooner than she had expected, and he would now enter his room. How should she account for her presence there? What paltry excuse seemed the story of her dream! But stay; loophole of escape was offered her, for, after few fruitless efforts to turn the lock, the man at the door walked quickly away, evidently in search of assistance.
 Elinos, with marvellous quickness, tossed the diary back and closed the drawer; then made her way softly to the door, and with ears strained to catch approaching steps, turned the lock on the outside, and fled down the corridor to her room.
 Gasping and faint, she fell upon her bed. What was to be done? She had saved herself from present disgrace. But she would have to tell her lover of her belief in his villainy, and of the proofs of it, which, by her own dis honorable action, she had discovered.
 Her excited brain overlooked the one little flaw in the chain of evil dence, the "fatal disease" mentioned in the diary.
 "I shall go mad" she moaned.
 In short time a message was brought her: ''Mr. Emerson wanted to see Miss Eveleth." She wrote on card that she would receive him in half an hour, epeiesed and sealed it and gave it to the beff-boy.
 At the end of her half hour she en- tered her paFlor, looking pale and worn, but determined. She had de- cided to tell everything, to conceal nothing and to abide the issue.
 In spite of the proofs which she had obtained at such cost to herself, her heart refused to believe the man whose love she had accepted to be guilty of any crime. But she would know the truth at all hazards.
 In a moment more her lover was about to take her in his arms. A |